Never Just Friends

School Fair

The school fair was in full swing, a vibrant blur of food stalls, games, and the sounds of laughter filling the campus. Hanna and Marco walked hand-in-hand through the bustling booths, stopping to try their hand at ring toss and grabbing snacks along the way. For the first time in a while, Hanna felt a comfortable lightness as she laughed with him, the day’s energy washing away the tension that had lingered for weeks.

After an hour, they wandered toward a tent decked out with flowers and ribbons, a sign above it in glittery letters that read: “Marriage Booth — Get ‘Hitched’ with Your Bestie!”Marco laughed, glancing at Hanna with a playful grin. “So, how about it? Want to make this official?”

She rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. “Oh, so now we’re skipping to marriage?”

“Just for fun,” he said, nudging her gently. “Come on, it’ll be hilarious.”

She hesitated, glancing at the tent and the line of people waiting for their “ceremonies.” But his laughter was contagious, and she found herself nodding. “Alright, why not?”

They made their way into the tent, stepping into the dim, floral-filled space. Hanna’s smile faltered the moment she saw who was behind the makeshift altar: Finn, standing there in a priest’s collar with a paper in his hand, his expression carefully blank. The air felt like it thickened as their eyes met, and Hanna sensed the slight clench of his jaw as he noticed her and Marco standing hand-in-hand.

“Finn,” she managed, her voice wavering as she tried to keep her smile steady. “You’re the… officiant?”

He nodded, his gaze flicking to Marco and then back to her. “Yeah. Here to make sure all these ‘vows’ stick,” he said, his tone even but with an edge that she couldn’t quite place. “You ready?”

Marco, seemingly unaware of the tension, squeezed her hand and grinned. “We’re ready.”

Finn gave a slight nod, unfolding the paper in his hands and clearing his throat. “Alright, then. Let’s make this… official.”

He began reading from the page, his voice low and steady, but there was an intensity in each word, a tension that crackled like static in the air. Hanna felt Marco’s hand in hers, warm and grounding, but her attention was locked on Finn’s voice as he recited the mock vows.

“Do you, Marco,” Finn began, his eyes darting briefly to Marco before returning to Hanna, “promise to be loyal and true, to offer laughter when times are hard, and to always be a friend in times of need?”

“I do,” Marco replied, giving Hanna a playful wink.

Finn’s jaw tightened as he looked at Hanna, his expression unyielding. He paused before speaking again, the pause stretching into something almost confrontational.

“And do you, Hanna,” he continued, his voice slightly lower, “promise to stand by Marco, to hold his hand through every challenge, and to keep him in your heart… for as long as you both shall live?”

Hanna’s breath caught at the way he said the words, as though each one carried a weight far heavier than the moment. She felt Marco’s hand squeeze hers again, and she forced herself to nod, though her gaze lingered on Finn.

“I… I do,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Finn’s eyes flickered, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw a flash of something raw and unguarded in his expression before he blinked it away. He glanced down at the page again, continuing in a voice that had grown quieter, more controlled.

“Then by the power vested in me,” he said, his tone suddenly devoid of all humor, “I now pronounce you… well, whatever this is.”

There was a strained silence as he looked at them, his gaze hard. Marco laughed, oblivious to the tension, and turned to Hanna with a grin.

“So, Mrs. Marco,” he joked, pulling her close and planting a playful kiss on her forehead.

Hanna smiled, but she could feel Finn’s gaze like a weight, pulling her attention back to him even as Marco led her out of the tent. Just before they left, she glanced back one last time, meeting Finn’s eyes. There was something unspoken in his expression, a silent question, a quiet plea, but she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge it.

As they stepped back out into the fair, the buzz of laughter and chatter surrounded them, but Hanna’s heart pounded, her mind lingering on Finn’s voice, on each word of those vows he’d spoken as if he’d meant them.